‘Hustle,’ ‘12 Years’ top Golden Globes

Published: January 13, 2014 | Last Modified: January 13, 2014 01:33PM

By Jake Coyle
Associated Press

Shut out all night at the Golden Globes, the historical drama “12 Years a Slave” eked out the night’s top honor, best film drama, while the con-artist caper “American Hustle” landed a leading three awards, including best film comedy.

David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” had the better night overall, winning acting awards for Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence. Best picture was the only award for “12 Years a Slave,” which came in with seven nominations, tied for the most with “American Hustle.”

Awards were otherwise spread around.

Matthew McConaughey took best actor in a drama for his performance in the Texas HIV drama “Dallas Buyers Club.” Leonardo DiCaprio, a nine-time Golden Globe nominee, won his second Globe for best actor in a comedy for his work in “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Alfonso Cuaron won best director for the space odyssey “Gravity,” a worldwide hit and critical favorite.

The night’s biggest winners may have been hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, whose second time hosting the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Beverly Hills, Calif., ceremony was just as successful as last year’s show. Fey concluded the night by toasting the awards as “the beautiful mess we hoped it would be.”

The Golden Globes offered a fond farewell to AMC’s epic tale of meth kingpin Walter White on Sunday, honoring it as television’s best drama and giving Bryan Cranston the top acting award.

Creator Vince Gilligan said the award gives the show, which concluded last fall, one more chance to thank its fans, “especially the early adopters” who started watching the dark tale in its first season.

Other big winners at the Golden Globes was the Fox detective comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and the HBO movie on Liberace, “Behind the Candelabra.” Actress Robin Wright helped the service Netflix reach an awards show milestone.

Cranston’s award for “Breaking Bad” came after losing four times in the category.

“This is such a wonderful honor and such a lovely way to say goodbye to the show that has meant so much to me,” Cranston said. He joked that the honor by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association means more people around the world “will be able to share in ‘Breaking Bad’s’ mirth and merriment.”

“Breaking Bad” was denied a sweep when Aaron Paul lost his bid to Jon Voight for a supporting actor award.

In two of the bigger surprises of the evening, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was named best television comedy and Andy Samberg won best actor in a comedy for his work on the show.

Wright won for her work in “House of Cards.” She paid tribute to her co-star, Kevin Spacey, calling him “the best playdate, ever.” Netflix’s award represented the first time a service other than a broadcast or cable network has won a major TV award.

Movie star Michael Douglas donned the flamboyant costumes to play Liberace for “Behind the Candelabra,” and won his fourth Golden Globe for the work. Earlier in the evening, the production won the award for best TV movie.

Douglas called his co-star, Matt Damon, “the bravest, talented actor I’ve ever worked with.” Addressing Damon, he said “the only reason you’re not here is I had more sequins.”

Show co-host Amy Poehler capped her big night by winning the best actress award for NBC’s “Parks & Recreation.” For a joke, she was sitting on Bono’s lap when the camera cut to her as nominees’ names were read; she looked she didn’t want to rush off when the announcement came that she won.

But she quickly recovered and turned into what even she recognized as a cliche — a flustered award winner who said she had not prepared to be an award winner.

“I never win,” she said, “so I can’t believe I won.”

Elisabeth Moss gets a lot of publicity for her work on “Mad Men,” but won a Golden Globe as best actress in a miniseries for playing a detective investigating the disappearance of a pregnant girl in the Sundance Channel miniseries, “Top of the Lake.”

Like movie winner Jennifer Lawrence before her, Moss was visibly trembling as she accepted her trophy.

Veteran actress Jacqueline Bisset, five times a nominee who won her first Golden Globe, savored the moment in getting a best supporting actress trophy. She played Lady Cremone in the BBC production of “Dancing on the Edge,” shown on Starz.

Her acceptance was punctuated by silence, she kept talking when the music tried to usher her offstage and even forced the censor to press the “bleep” button after she uttered a profanity.

“I want to thank my mother,” she said. “What did she say? Go to hell and don’t come back.”

There was no profanity from Voight, another Hollywood veteran. He’d been to the stage before; his supporting actor honor for his work in Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” was his fourth Golden Globe.